Support apparatus for a bag

ABSTRACT

A support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag comprising a support cord fastened to the bag and a support clamp means permanently attached to the ends of the cord and adapted for releasable engagement with the central portion of the cord. The support clamp is made of metal material in the form of a onepiece stamping.

123 (W),8l (B), 84 (13); 16/110; 150/12, 1 (Curso y); 4/1 10; 248/98; 128/275, 283 (Cursory), 295 (Cursory) D United States Patent [111 3568,965

I [72] Inventor James L. Clark [56] Refer nces Cited 21 A l N glitgigh Bay, Wls. UNITED STATES PATENTS f 12 1969 348,871 9/1886 Wales 24/129Bux [45] Patented 9 l971 896,646 8/1908 Litsch..... 24/129Bux [73] Assignee Plasronim Inc 1,070,389 8/1913 Beck 24/l29Bux Milwaukee 2,041,691 5/1936 Becklin 16/110 2,627,448 2/1953 Horton.... 24/129Bux 2,705,987 4/1955 Schulte.;.. 150/12 3,090,968 5/1963 Buono 150/ l2UX Primary Examiner-Bernard A. Gelak PAR R A B G Attorneys-John W. Michael, Gerrit D. Foster, Bayard H. [54] g ggg agz gg gi A Michael, Paul R. Puerner,Joseph A. Gemig'nani, Andrew 0.

Ritieris and Spencer B. Michael, [52] US. Cl 248/95,

24/129,24/123,l50/12,128/275,4/110,16/110 [51] Int. Cl. ..Fl6g 11/02, ABSTRACT: A support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag F 16g ll/l4 comprising a support cord fastened to the bag and a support [50] Field ofSearch 24/129 (B), clamp means permanently attached to the ends of the cord and adapted for releasable engagement with the central portion of the cord. The support clamp is made of metal material in the form of a one-piece stamping.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field of Invention This invention relates to a support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag which is adapted for easy attachment of the bag to a support member and the easy removal of the bag therefrom.

2. Description of Prior Art Various arrangements have been proposed for detachably supporting bedside drainage bags from the rail of a hospital bed.

The principle object of this invention is to provide an improved arrangement wherein the bedside drainage bag can be conveniently attached to the bed railing and subsequently readily disconnected therefrom for disposal of the contents.

A further object is to provide a support apparatus which is comprised of relatively inexpensive parts which can be easily mass produced.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the description and claims that follow.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION A support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag and the like comprising a support cord fastened to the bag and a support clamp means having a first portion adapted for permanent connection with the ends of the support cord and a second portion adapted for releasable engagement with the central portion of the support cord. The support clamp is preferably made of metal material in the form of a one-piece stamping. The second portion of the clamp means includes a retaining arm made integrally therewith over which the cord can be snapped into a position where it is free to move in an axial direction with respect to the clamp. The first portion of the clamp includes a pair of parallel portions which are integral with and upset out of the main body of the first portion to form openings into which the ends of the cord can be inserted and then permanently attached by deformation of said parallel portions.

but showing the parts in assembled position; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows a bedside drainage bag preferably made of a plastic material and having an inlet fitting 12 attached to the upper portion thereof and an inlet tube 14 adapted for conducting fluid into the bag through fitting 12. The bag is also provided with a drain tube assembly 16 the detailed construction of which is described and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 793,413 filed Jan. 23, 1969, by the applicant named herein.

The specially designed support means 18 for the bedside drainage bag is comprised of a supporting clamp 20 and a onepiece cord member 22. Referring to FIG. 2 which shows the parts in unassembled position, clamp 20 is comprised of an upper portion 24 for permanently fastening the ends 25 of the cord thereto and a lower portion 26 adapted for removable connection with the center portion 28 of the cord as will be explained in detail hereinafter.

The clamp is preferably made of metal material in the form of a one-piece stamping. The upper portion 24 of the clamp 20 is comprised of portions 30, 32 and 34 which are upset in one direction, and parallel portions 36 and 38 which are upset in .the opposite direction. This upsetting configuration provides openings 40 and 42 into which the ends 25 of the cord 22 can be inserted.

The first step in the assembly of the support means is to thread the cord through openings 44 and 46 provided in the top of the bag 10. The next step is to permanently attach the cord ends 25 to the clamp which is accomplished by first inserting the ends of the cord through openings 40, 42 in the clamp from opposite directions. The cord ends are inserted a sufficient distance so that each end portion 25 will be positioned in both openings 40, 42. With the cord ends thus positioned, the upset portions 36 and 38 of the clamp are deformed downwardly into tight engagement with the cord ends to thus provide a permanent connection between the cord and the clamp as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Turning now to the lower portion 26 of the clamp, such portion is also formed by a stamping action wherein a retaining arm 48 is stamped out of the material in one direction, and the adjacent portions 50 and 52 are upset in the opposite direction as indicated by reference numerals 54 and 56. The central portion 28 of the cord can then be simply inserted over the end of arm 48 and pulled downwardly until it engages with upset portions 54 and 56 as shown in FIG. 3.

The clamp and cord are dimensioned so that, as it is pulled downwardly into the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be frictionally engaged by the clamp at point 58 as shown in FIG. 4. However, as it passes point 48 it will move into an area of greater diameter as viewed in FIG. 4 and will in such position be able to move freely in an axial direction.

To use the support means described above, the bag can be supported on a side rail 60 of a hospital bed by first positioning the clamp on one side of the rail and then attaching the center portion of the cord to the lower portion 26 of the clamp as previously described and as shown in FIG. 1. In such position, the bag will be supported from the rail by the cord.

When it is desired to remove the bag for disposal of the contents, or for any other reason, the cord is snapped past retaining arm 48 to thus free the bag from the rail. The cord can be reinserted over the retaining arm 48 to provide a convenient hand support to carry the bag. This feature makes it easy for an ambulatory patient to carry the bag. The fact that the cord can move freely axially when in assembled position over retaining arm 48 allows the entire unit; to easily stabilize itself when installed on the rail of a bed.

From the foregoing, it would seem that the clamp itself is a relatively inexpensive part which can be easily mass produced and provides a very convenient and simple arrangement for supporting and subsequently removing a bedside drainage bag from the rail of the patients bed.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will] be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag and the like comprising:

a support cord having two ends and a central portion therebetween fastened to the bag; and

a support clamp member having a first portion adapted for permanent connection with the ends of said support cord wherein said first portion of said clamp means includes a pair of parallel portions which are: upset out of the main body of said first portion to form openings into which the ends of said cord are inserted and clamped therein, and a second portion having an upset portion adapted for releasable engagement with the central support cord.

2. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second portion of said clamp means includes a retaining arm over which said cord can be snapped into a position wherein it portion of said is free to move in an axial direction with respect to said clamp.

3. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said support clamp member is made of metal material in the form of a one-piece stamping. 

1. Support apparatus for a bedside drainage bag and the like comprising: a support cord having two ends and a central portion therebetween fastened to the bag; and a support clamp member having a first portion adapted for permanent connection with the ends of said support cord wherein said first portion of said clamp means includes a pair of parallel portions which are upset out of the main body of said first portion to form openings into which the ends of said cord are inserted and clamped therein, and a second portion having an upset portion adapted for releasable engagement with the central portion of said support cord.
 2. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said second portion of said clamp means includes a retaining arm over which said cord can be snapped into a position wherein it is free to move in an axial direction with respect to said clamp.
 3. A support apparatus according to claim 1 in which said support clamp member is made of metal material in the form of a one-piece stamping. 